The Trail of Gladioli
by xAoneko
Summary: Sorcerer Todoroki Shouto is on a quest to kill All Might, but along the way, he discovers that he's only a pawn in someone else's plan.
1. A Sorcerer and His Dragon

**_This story was inspired by a game called Drakengard 3. Instead of quirks, people use magic, and flower symbolism is a heavy theme in this story. Also, there are a lot more characters than the four that I listed; I just put up the ones that have the biggest influence. Relationships include past!Tododeku and implied!Shigadabi._**

* * *

 _War constantly plagued Yuuei._

 _For decades, unbridled hatred and bloody battles ravaged the country as citizens turned on each other and disagreements flared relentlessly. The earth cracked and heaved under the pressure of endless violence, and Yuuei faced imminent collapse as resources became scarce, unable to grow in such harsh conditions._

 _Then, a savior descended upon the land. A sorcerer stepped forward, bringing forth five others with him and appointing them as "Shrine Lords." Under the sorcerer's command, the Shrine Lords scattered throughout Yuuei, bringing long-awaited peace to the land using powers the sorcerer granted them, and once the civil war died completely, the Shrine Lords became revered as deities._

 _And the sorcerer became the "King." He called himself –_

Blood splattered the scroll as the scribe released a strangled gasp. A sword of ice pierced his chest, tip buried in the parchment that laid across the table before him. The quill in his hand slipped from between his fingers and fluttered to the floor as the scribe turned his head to glare at his attacker.

" _You_." The words came out choked, and the scribe coughed. Blood dripped from his mouth. "You should be _dead_."

With one smooth motion, the attacker twisted his sword and sliced through the scribe's body, leaving a wide arc of blood on the floor and walls. Shouto coldly watched as the scribe slumped forward and lowered his arm.

"As if I would die before killing the King," he said shortly.

He turned away from the corpse and looked out the window. Soldiers swarmed in the street below like ants, and Shouto could see more of them gathering on the ledge on the other side of the street. A hiss of distaste escaped him when he saw the cannons being wheeled in. He could not let the enemy get the first strike.

Shouto pulled his arm back and threw his sword out the window, feeling some sort of satisfaction upon hearing the sound of shattering glass and the surprised shouts of the soldiers below. Without hesitation, he followed, easily avoiding the broken glass as he hurled himself through the air and landed among the soldiers in the street.

Frost lined his right arm as Shouto called upon his ice magic. Shards of ice burst from his palm, growing and shifting around each other until one icicle elongated into a thin blade, and the rest of the ice blossomed into a flower-like cross-guard. He swung before the sword finished building itself, easily cutting down two soldiers before they could even react. The sorcerer danced his way through the army, jumping from one area to another to avoid being cornered. He left dead soldiers behind, slashing and hacking at the exposed necks that the armor failed to protect.

As he twisted out of the way of an attack, Shouto caught sight of his previous sword lying on the ground. He leaped for it, dodging around soldiers only to be greeted by an arrow landing a few centimeters before his face.

 _Archers._

Shouto grabbed his sword and ducked just in time to avoid a second arrow. He needed to get rid of the soldiers quickly, so he raised both blades and poured his magic into the ice. The temperature around him dropped as he jumped and spun in midair, and frozen spears pierced the ground in a spiral with Shouto at the center. The soldiers hung limply from the icy blades. Blood trickled down in small streams, staining the ice with veins of red.

A shout sounded from overhead, and Shouto looked up to see a cannon facing him. The soldier beside it pointed down, clearly directing the cannoneer to fire, but Shouto did not need to concern himself with the small brigade on the ledge. After all, he had an ally who proved to be vastly superior to cannons and archers.

"Kirishima."

Fire erupted on the ledge, engulfing the soldiers in a blazing wall of orange. The wind whipped Shouto's hair in all directions, and heavy thud sounded behind him as the ruby-red dragon landed in the street. The beast bowed his head, a low puff of smoke escaping his nostrils, before crawling forward to stand over Shouto protectively. Teeth-filled jaws opened, revealing the bright glow of fire in the dragon's mouth. A low growl rumbled threateningly in Kirishima's chest. Venomous yellow eyes surveyed the carnage, searching for survivors, and upon finding none, the dragon smothered the fire in his stomach and pushed himself up to sit back on his haunches.

"I guess this means we have to keep searching." Kirishima pawed at the ground, claws leaving small gouge marks in the cobblestone. Shouto did not answer. The sword gripped in his left hand dripped water on the ground, so he summoned some magic and melted it completely. After some contemplation, the one in his right hand followed suit.

Feeling a stiffness in his body, Shouto gingerly stretched his arms and shifted his shoulders. He could feel his robes stretch over the patch of ice that replaced the skin on his back.

Kirishima watched him curiously. "Is it hurting you?"

Shouto lowered his arms, sighing silently at the faint stinging sensation where his skin met the ice. "It is negligible."

The dragon eyed him dubiously, spiked tail swinging restlessly behind him, but did not press the issue. "So what now?"

Shouto turned and stalked down the street, swiping one hand over his robes to cleanse the bloodstains. He could hear Kirishima's heavy footsteps as the dragon followed him. "Like you said, we are going to keep searching." The sorcerer passed a hand through his hair, once through the white strands and one more time through the red ones, using magic to remove the specks of blood. "We have already been through the rest of the plains, so the shrine should be around here."

"Okay." The two of them continued to walk in silence, but Kirishima was soon talking again. "Hey, Todoroki. I heard there's supposed to be this sparkling lake nearby. The water's apparently super clear and stuff, and it's a really popular site. Wanna go check it out?"

"No." Shouto did not give the proposal a second thought. "We are here to kill the Shrine Lord, not to sightsee. Besides," he added when Kirishima gave him a wounded look, "if it is as popular as you say, then we will be spotted, and the soldiers chase us down. It would be an unnecessary confrontation."

"…Okay."

Silence fell between the two of them again, although Kirishima's tail dragged slightly on the ground. Unfortunately for Shouto, Kirishima never stayed disappointed for long, and the dragon returned to his chatty state after a mere moment of moping.

"Hey, Todoroki?"

Shouto suppressed an exasperated sigh. After that fruitless fight against the soldiers, he only wanted some peace and quiet. "What."

"Are you sure about this? Killing the King?"

A stab of irritation pierced Shouto's gut, and his eyes flashed in a steely glare, but he resolutely looked forward and kept walking. His footsteps sounded heavy and hollow under the flood of anger rushing past his ears. "Not like I have a choice, but if I'm going to be forced to do this, then I may as well do it on my terms. I will show Endeavor that I don't need his power to kill the King."

Suddenly, a dull, rhythmic thudding came from behind him as Kirishima picked up the pace. Once he passed Shouto, the dragon spun around so that he blocked the path, looking down at Shouto with something akin to concern. "But what about Midoriya?"

The sorcerer raised his head and met the yellow eyes with a blank stare. Kirishima had mentioned a Midoriya before, almost six months ago, but Shouto did not know a Midoriya back then, and he still found the name to be foreign now. "Who is Midoriya?"

Kirishima eyed him. The worry in his gaze changed to incredulity, then to resignation. With a snort that exuded a puff of smoke, the dragon turned away and continued down the path.

"Never mind."

Shouto allowed himself a slight frown before schooling his expression back into one of indifference. Kirishima occasionally talked about unfamiliar names as though Shouto should know them and looked disappointed when the sorcerer did not recognize them. Shouto did not care much. If Shouto did not know them, then they did not matter. Fretting over strangers would be a distraction to his goal.

He flinched when his back sent a new wave of stinging pain through his body. Forcing himself to ignore the burning sensation, Shouto followed after Kirishima, taking slow steps at first and gradually walking faster as the pain eventually faded. He caught up to the dragon, face blank and mind devoid of thoughts. He needed to remain calm and disciplined.

After all, he planned to kill All Might.


	2. Manhunt

**_Just as a heads-up, there's a LOT of fighting in this story._**

* * *

Having scoured the rest of the plains so thoroughly, it did not take long for Shouto and Kirishima to locate another fortress that would provide better directions to the Shrine Lord. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, a multitude of soldiers greeted them upon arrival. Shouto's back cried in protest at the thought of battling his way through so many, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, frost curling around him until the familiar weight of his sword settled in his hand.

"There's so many!" With a mighty beat of his wings, Kirishima pulled himself into the sky, hovering in a way that cast his shadow threateningly over the troops. A low explosion rumbled through the air, and the red dragon yelped in surprise and swerved to avoid the cannonball that came sailing at him. "Rude."

"You take care of the cannons. I will handle the soldiers." Shouto did not bother checking to see if Kirishima heard him, charging towards the line of soldiers that advanced his way.

He ducked under the first swing and cut the soldier down with ease. The next couple fell just as quickly, unable to keep up with Shouto's speed. Overhead, Kirishima swooped past a cannon. A jet of flame streamed from his mouth, transforming the artillery into a beacon that bathed the bastion in orange light and sent a pillar of smoke high into the sky.

Shouto could no longer discern each individual enemy. Colors melded together in a swirl of gray and red as he slashed foe after foe, listening to their pained cries as they dropped to the ground. Blood caught on his hair and ran down his face, getting into his eyes and making it difficult to see.

A lull in the battle allowed Shouto to shake off some of the blood and survey the damage. The walls crackled and blazed with Kirishima's fierce attack, and Shouto picked off the last few soldiers on the ground. He wiped one hand across his face and looked up at the ruby-scaled dragon. "Go on ahead and clean up their ranged attackers. Come back me up when you're done."

"Got it!"

The sorcerer started running, following the widest path through the fortress. A hot gust of wind ruffled his hair as Kirishima glided past, and it did not take long for Shouto to catch the dragon's roar and see more fire decorate the sky.

A shout from ahead alerted Shouto to approaching enemies, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of a few soldiers carrying shields taller than them. He lunged at one of them, bringing his sword down with the intent of slicing the soldier in half, only for the ice to shatter as the soldier blocked the attack with his shield.

Shouto jumped out of the way as the soldier picked up the shield and charged at him, attempting to ram him to the ground. The sorcerer hissed as he rolled away from another attack. Hacking and cutting with a sword would not work against those large shields. He needed to knock the barriers out of the way before he can kill the soldiers carrying them.

His right arm frosted over, and ice crystals began sprouting from his hand, melding and growing into a pole. The tip sharpened into a sturdy blade just in time for Shouto to hook it under the soldier's shield and push upwards. Flailing at the sudden change in balance, the soldier stumbled backward, and Shouto took advantage of the opening to thrust the spear through the man's chest.

As Shouto employed similar tactics for the other soldiers, he noticed that they often moved sluggishly when trying to turn around, no doubt hindered by the bulkiness of the shields. If he used his sword, then he could easily slip behind the soldiers and attack while they struggled to regain their bearings.

He would try it next time. The spear worked just fine as of now, even if he sacrificed some of his own mobility to wield it.

Shouto took down the last soldier with a well-aimed jab and readied himself for the next wave of enemies. More soldiers carrying giant shields charged at him, followed by several lancers. Behind them, Shouto could see a few mages with sigils hovering around them as they readied their spells.

He needed to take down the mages first.

The sorcerer dug one end of his spear into the ground, using it to propel himself up and over the shields and lances. His ice magic solidified into another sword as he landed behind the front line and charged at the mages.

The first spell shot past his left ear, crackling ominously as it went. A second came flying at his face as he reached the closest mage, and Shouto ducked while swinging his sword up to dispatch the foe in front of him. Once the mage fell, he immediately whirled around to find the other two, only to see them vanish into portals and reappear behind the line of soldiers that he dodged earlier.

Shouto knew he disliked mages for a reason.

He made to pursue them but stopped when a familiar shadow passed over them. Having taken care of a good portion of the fortress' soldiers, Kirishima had returned and currently circled over the area like a hawk.

"Look out, Todoroki!"

Shouto barely had time to throw himself out of the way before the dragon dropped his entire weight on the ground. The sorcerer could not help the grimace that flashed across his face at the thought of being crushed to death. Rivers of blood flowed between the cobblestones to form a web of red. Neither Shouto nor Kirishima looked back at the flattened corpses as they continued following the path.

With Kirishima at his side, Shouto found it much less irritating to battle his way through the soldiers. One wave of the dragon's tail sent a long line of enemies flying. It did not take long for the two of them to plow through the rest, several of the smarter foes having turned tail and fled. Looking around at the scattered bodies, Shouto could tell that some of them still breathed.

He approached a fallen soldier, eyes zeroed in on the irregular movement of the torso. The sorcerer slipped his foot under the man and turned him over, grabbing the soldier's scarf and pulling so that the soldier's head lifted from the ground.

"Where is the Shrine Lord?"

The soldier glared. "Rot in hell," he spat.

Shouto twisted an icy blade into his heart and moved on.

The next one he picked out merely gurgled and choked out some blood, throat too torn up to produce a comprehensible response. Shouto left him to bleed out.

He questioned one more, and while the third one had been terrified beyond measure, he remained loyal to the Shrine Lord and stubbornly kept his mouth shut. Shouto sliced open his neck and walked away.

Alongside Kirishima, the sorcerer continued scouring the fortress for a soldier who would be weak-willed enough to give them answers. However, their search came to a halt when the pair found themselves in an open room in the center of the bastion. A tall, dark figure stood motionless on the other side, clutching a broadsword. Shouto stepped forward, and once he was a few meters away from the creature, he saw the hand holding the sword twitch.

A dark head lifted, revealing a smooth and faceless expanse of black. The beast shifted its weight, lifting one skinny leg as it advanced upon the intruders. The broadsword dragged on the ground, producing an awful noise that grated on Shouto's ears.

Kirishima shifted restlessly behind him, and Shouto did not have to turn around to see the awestruck expression on the dragon's face. "Whoa! Is that a–?"

"A Titan." Shouto raised his sword at the same time the Titan hefted its broadsword into the air. He rolled to the side seconds before the heavy weapon hit the ground, leaving cracks in the stone floor. Kirishima spread his wings, ready to take to the air and assist Shouto. "Stay where you are; I'll handle this."

"You sure?" The dragon relaxed somewhat, but his muscles remained tense. Shouto did not provide an answer, choosing to dart forward and slash at the Titan's legs with his sword.

He scowled at how little damage his weapon inflicted upon the beast before dancing out of the way of another strike from the broadsword. He needed to target the Titan's head and neck, but the way the Titan towered over him made it impossible unless he could climb up the Titan's body or bring the beast to its knees.

Shouto dodged another attack and jumped back, putting a few meters between himself and the Titan. He continued to focus on keeping the distance as he considered his options.

The Titan walked rather sluggishly, probably due to its gargantuan size or because of the broadsword it dragged behind it. If its size proved to be the hindrance, then Shouto could possibly play it safe by climbing onto its shoulder and hacking at its neck. The Titan would be too slow to dislodge him fast enough.

However, if the culprit slowing the Titan down lied in the broadsword, then Shouto would be taking a risk by climbing the Titan. It could swat him down and crush him easily if it decided to forgo its sword and use its bare hands. In that case, it would be more advantageous if Shouto hacked at its legs and toppled the Titan instead.

A loud screech of metal on stone shook Shouto out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Titan drive its sword into the floor and swing it to send a wave of energy at him. It missed narrowly, but the force behind it sent Shouto stumbling back. A fresh gorge yawned beside him, left behind by the attack.

Staying away from the Titan ended up being too dangerous, so Shouto ducked back towards it, weaving between its legs. He hacked at it a few more times with his sword, each strike ending up as fruitless as the last. Maybe his spear would produce better results. It would slow him down a little, but the Titan did not exactly move quickly.

His sword morphed, and Shouto did not hold back as he drove the head of the lance deep into the Titan's leg.

The Titan jerked but did not fall. One more jab in the same leg sent the Titan onto one knee, but the head and neck still remained out of reach. Shouto settled with the torso instead, but the Titan swung an arm out. Caught off guard, Shouto barely managed to block the brunt of the blow with his spear, but his back still twisted with pain as he hit the ground. A grunt escaped from him, but several years of training pushed Shouto back onto his feet despite the ache that seemed to sink into his spine.

He summoned a new spear, the old one having shattered under the force of the Titan's attack. The Titan had already risen to a standing position, lumbering towards him. It did not bleed, but Shouto could see that the injuries he inflicted earlier affected its movements.

It did not take much effort for Shouto to slip back to the Titan's legs and pierce the other leg with his spear. The Titan collapsed onto both knees this time, and for a moment, it slumped forward. Its head hung, this time within reach of Shouto's spear.

The sorcerer wasted no time in swinging his spear, and the Titan's head rolled across the stone floor. Its body crumpled to the ground and exploded in a burst of black smog that drifted away on the wind.

Shouto lowered his spear as Kirishima trotted to his side, eyeing the fading remnants of the Titan. Neither of them uttered a word; Shouto had nothing to say, and Kirishima knew better than to ask the sorcerer if his back pained him, so the two made their way to the other side of the room in silence.

In the end, Kirishima's thoughts got the better of him, and the quiet transformed into casual conversation.

"You know, I've just realized: I've never seen a Titan in the wilderness before."

Todoroki glanced at the dragon from the corner of his eyes. "That's because Titans are manmade creatures, so you won't find them in the wild like you can with trolls. The King made them to help defend the Shrine Lords."

"So they're like magical giants or something?"

"I suppose you can say that. They're condensed clouds of magic that have been molded into a large, humanoid shape, so they can only be destroyed by magical objects. However, they can be killed just like how you kill a human."

Shouto could feel Kirishima watching him thoughtfully.

"You sure know a lot about Titans, Todoroki."

A familiar face, engulfed in flames, surfaced briefly in Shouto's memories, bringing a stab of contempt with it. It took the sorcerer a considerable amount of effort to keep his voice controlled as he explained, "My damn father made sure I knew everything that I needed to know so I can kill All Might."

Kirishima hummed in response. Something about the response gave Shouto a nagging suspicion that Kirishima had another question, one that Shouto had already answered many times. Maybe the way the dragon trailed off nagged him, but it could also be the fact that Kirishima never got a satisfactory answer from his previous attempts.

"Hey, Todoroki?"

His hunch was right.

"Do you really have to kill All Might? I mean, you don't have to do it just because your father says so, you know?"

Shouto set his jaw, eyebrows furrowing slightly and lips pressing in a thin line. Kirishima did not seem to notice as he continued to talk.

"If you're worried about him looking for you, you can hide out somewhere until he forgets about you. It's not the manliest choice, but–"

Todoroki did not want to listen to hopeful prattle anymore. "It won't work."

"Why not?"

"He cursed me. Whether or not I want to do this and whether or not I run away, none of that matters. The spell he cast on me will always drag me back. I only have this one option. But if this is my only choice, then I will do it on _my_ terms."

"Which are…?" Kirishima asked hesitantly.

"Endeavor has always taken pride in his fire magic, and he says that I'm his masterpiece because I inherited both fire magic from him and ice magic from my mother. I intend to defeat All Might with only my mother's power, and I can't wait to see the sour look on his face when he finds out." Todoroki could imagine the expression of rage and shock on his father's face, feeling a jolt of anticipation run through his body at the thought.

"That's pretty cruel, Todoroki."

Kirishima's tone was resigned, tinged with a hint of disapproval, but Shouto had no intention of being kind to the man who tormented him for years.

"Tell that to Endeavor."

The conversation cut off there as more soldiers showed up, brandishing weapons and shouting obscenities. Shouto stood back this time, watching Kirishima swing his tail and send enemies flying through the air. When things finally settled down, the soldiers were sprawled across the ground with varying degrees of injury. Shouto approached one, waiting for him to shakily climb to his feet before placing one hand on his chest and encasing the man in ice from the neck down.

"Where is the Shrine Lord?"

A pathetic whimper slipped from between the soldier's lips, but he said nothing despite the chattering of his teeth and frosty puffs of air escaping his mouth. Shouto frowned. Maybe he just needed a little push.

"I would hate to have to leave you here to die of hypothermia, so I'll ask one more time. _Where_ is the Shrine Lord?" Shouto summoned a little more magic, adding another layer of ice to the man.

The man's eyes widened, and Shouto knew the threat succeeded. "In, in the Sh-Shrine of Screams. Up there," the soldier shakily tilted his head back, glancing in the direction he mentioned, "You can't miss it."

For a moment, Shouto did not move, searching for a hint of dishonesty in the soldier's fearful gaze. When he did not find anyway, he withdrew his right hand and placed his left on the ice, which began to melt. Water streamed onto the ground in little rivers, mixing with the blood to form cloudy, red puddles.

Once the soldier stood free from ice, Shouto brushed past him. "Let's go," he told Kirishima.

They headed in the direction the soldier had pointed them in, walking in the deathly silence of the once-boisterous fortress. The quiet gave Shouto a chance to think about his impending confrontation with the Shrine Lord. He had heard that the Shrine Lord harbored physical strength, so it made sense that the Lord would be skilled at combat in close quarters. Shouto would need to stay at a distance if he wanted to win. Without a doubt, the Shrine Lord would be much stronger than the Titan from earlier.

Speaking of the Titan, something Kirishima said earlier piqued Shouto's curiosity.

"Back when we were fighting the Titan."

"Huh?"

"You said you've never seen a Titan in the wild."

"Oh, yeah. Why?"

"So you _have_ seen a Titan before."

"Yeah, I think it was a little more than six months ago. You…probably don't remember though." The disappointed tone made its appearance again.

Once more, Shouto brushed it off. "I don't. Where was this Titan?"

"In Reverence Hall."

 _Reverence Hall_ , Shouto repeated to himself, _where the King is. What was Kirishima doing there? If this occurred six months ago, then I might have been there, too._

His thoughts trailed off as they arrived at the top of the hill. A field of daisies greeted him, white flowers waving gently in the breeze. In the center of the field stood five broad and thick walls, surrounding an area barren of any vegetation.

"So that's the Shrine of Screams." Shouto did not even finish speaking before he stepped down the hill, walking towards the shrine with an air of confidence. Meanwhile, Kirishima floundered behind him, wings fluttering in agitation.

"Hey, wait, Todoroki! Are you really gonna challenge the Shrine Lord now? Shouldn't you get some rest first? The Shrine Lord isn't gonna be some kind of pushover!"

"Kirishima."

The dragon fell silent, gazing Shouto with watchful eyes. An aura of determination had settled across the sorcerer's shoulders, yet he stood tall under the weight of his decision.

"I know you have misgivings about this, so I don't expect you to assist me. But I have trained my entire life for this. I cannot afford to stop when the Shrine Lord is right in front of me."

"That's not what I–"

Shouto did not respond as he continued to walk down the hill towards his first real confrontation. Halfway down the slope, he felt wind ruffle his hair, and Kirishima glided past him to land at the bottom, waiting for Shouto to catch up.


	3. Miruko and Agatha

Shouto stalked through the field of daisies, trampling the fragile stems and kicking up gusts of crumpled petals. Kirishima followed behind him quietly, claws digging into the dirt and pulling up flowers by the clumps.

They stopped just outside of the Shrine of Screams. Shouto scanned the inside, not seeing the Shrine Lord, but he refused to let that deter him. Perhaps the Lord was hiding, and Shouto just needed to drag him or her out by the hair. He glanced back at Kirishima, who met his gaze with a determined yellow stare and a nod.

"I'm ready!"

Shouto took a deep breath and stepped into the shrine. Kirishima walked in after him, shoulders hunched and wings splayed, ready to react in case of a surprise attack. Their steps crunched on the gravelly floor, tense and wary, yet nobody appeared to greet them even as they stood in the center of the arena.

From his position, Shouto finally realized just how tall the stone walls stood. They towered over both him and Kirishima, and Shouto guessed that even the Titan from before would not be able to see over the top without jumping. Columns upon columns of sigils stretched over the otherwise smooth surface, yet Shouto did not recognize any of the runes. These days, most magic users did not train to harness power from symbols as ancient as the ones on the walls.

After a long time of standing around, Kirishima gathered the courage to speak. "It doesn't look like anyone's here…"

Shouto cast the dragon a look. "Can you sense the Shrine Lord?"

"I can't." Kirishima shook his head with a huff. Smoke billowed from his snout. "The sigils on the walls are pulsing. They're interfering with my senses."

"The sigils are pulsing?" Shouto's attention returned to the runes etched on the stone. He could not discern anything, but dragons had a natural sense for all things magical. If Kirishima said the symbols were alive, then it must be true.

"Yeah. They're overflowing with powerful magic," the dragon confirmed, tail lashing from side to side in an agitated manner, "It's strong. Definitely one of the Shrine Lord's spells."

"Can you tell what kind of spell it is?" Maybe the Shrine Lord hid his or her location in the sigils. If they could determine the nature of the spell, it may grant them clues to the Shrine Lord.

Unfortunately, Kirishima shook his head. "No. The intricacies are too muddled for me make out."

"That's 'cause there's more than one spell."

Both sorcerer and dragon whirled around at the sound of a new voice. Shouto scanned the empty space behind them, and then, he raised his eyes to see a woman sitting on top of a stone wall, legs dangling over the edge. An air of confidence surrounded her as she sneered down at him and Kirishima.

"You're the Shrine Lord." Shouto did not need confirmation as he raised his sword in a battle-ready stance.

The woman's smirk widened. "And you're the troublemaker going around killing people by the hundreds," she retorted, crossing one tan leg over the other, "Must have a lot of skill to do that. A lot of nerve, too. Did ya not have enough fun six months ago?"

Shouto's eyes narrowed. He knew the Shrine Lord did not just happen to ask him about the period of his life that he had no recollection of. The disdainful look she gave him only served to feed his flaring temper, and the sorcerer ground out, "I'm afraid I don't remember what happened six months ago. Care to enlighten me?"

The Shrine Lord let out a huff of laughter and pushed herself to stand on the wall. "Ya know, I think I'd prefer to just kill ya instead! That's what you came here for, right? To be pummeled into oblivion by me: Shrine Lord Miruko!"

The shrine grew stifling, and the space around Miruko shifted as the Shrine Lord called upon her magic. Crackling energy caged her legs in what Shouto recognized to be a strength enhancement spell. He would definitely have to be careful not to get hit.

"We'll see who does the pummeling." He dashed forward with his sword held aloft at the same time Miruko leaped down from the wall. Shouto knew he should stay at range and fight her from a distance, but if Miruko only used a strength enhancement spell, then maybe he would be faster than her and actually stand a chance in close quarters. He would play it safe for now.

They met with a flurry of blows exchanged, yet not one attack landing. Shouto slashed at Miruko's stomach, missing as she evaded. He was then forced to retreat when the Shrine Lord attempted to bring her foot down on his head. The force of the hit left cracks in the ground, and Shouto refused to imagine how much it would hurt if that had been his skull.

He barely had time to regain his footing when Miruko came flying at him with another kick. Shouto raised his sword to block the attack, but he knew it would not do much against the onslaught. His sword shattered the moment Miruko's blow made contact, and Shouto felt the air rush from his lungs as her foot slammed into his chest. He flew backward, gritting his teeth against the throbbing pain of his sternum as he rolled across the ground.

As he pulled himself to his feet, Shouto altered the hilt of his broken sword into his spear, expecting Miruko to be on him the moment he recovered from her last kick. Sure enough, he looked up to see the Shrine Lord running to him at full speed. The sorcerer raised his spear, hoping that Miruko's momentum would not allow her to dodge in time, and lunged forward. Unfortunately, he underestimated Miruko's ability, and she spun around, kicking the spearhead clean off and landing a second strike to Shouto's chin.

Shouto went with the blow, doing a series of flips to put distance between him and Miruko. A hiss of irritation escaped him at the stinging pain in his jaw, and the annoyance only grew as he heard Miruko's contemptuous snort.

"What's the matter? Did ya really think you could beat me in hand-to-hand combat?"

Shouto sucked in a long breath through his nose, willing himself to calm down and think rationally. He had been too confident, and he paid for it with the injuries he sustained. He needed to start fighting seriously and see Miruko as a Shrine Lord instead of just another person to kill.

The sorcerer reached out, a new fire present in the gesture as he stretched one hand towards the red dragon behind him. "Kirishima!"

A roar sounded around the shrine as Kirishima charged to Shouto's side, crouching low enough for the sorcerer to grab hold of the saddle on his back. Using Kirishima's wing joint as a foothold, Shouto vaulted over to sit on the saddle, and with one powerful sweep, the dragon took flight, circling around the shrine like a hawk.

Miruko watched them with a distasteful grimace. "You teamin' up against me now?" she called up to them, "That's pretty cowardly, don'cha think?"

"Sorry," Shouto replied, not apologetic in any way, "but I don't intend to lose against you. Or any of the other Lords, for that matter."

"Is that so." The Shrine Lord jumped at them, powerful legs launching her through the air like an arrow. She spun in midair, aiming to land a hard kick to Kirishima's jaw, but the dragon flapped his wings and swerved out of the way just in time to avoid it.

Miruko used the wall as a rebound, catching herself and springing off nimbly. She came hurtling at Shouto and Kirishima for a second time, but once again, the dragon twisted through the air and evaded the attack. Miruko landed on the ground, leaving a small crater in the stone.

Not giving her a chance to attack again, Kirishima let loose a series of fireballs at the Shrine Lord, who dodged through a series of acrobatics. To Shouto's dismay, the barrage of flames shrouded the ground in a cloud of smoke, blocking Miruko from sight. Kirishima beat his wings, moving the two of them higher up into the sky until they knocked into something that prevented them from flying further.

Shouto threw a glance over his shoulder but did not see anything. He felt no surprise that one of the spells the sigils on the walls housed turned out to be an invisible barrier that blocked foes from escaping through the sky. He disregarded it and told Kirishima to do the same; after all, they had no intention of running away.

The smoke cleared, and Shouto felt a twinge of satisfaction upon seeing the vexed expression on Miruko's face. "Flitting around like a fly so I can't hit you. You're pretty annoying, ya know?" she snarled, brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face, "But that's fine. Two can play at this game. Agatha's been getting restless anyway."

Shouto did not have time to dwell on Agatha as Miruko straightened up out of her crouch. The Shrine Lord tilted her head back, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth wide in a piercing shriek. The shrill scream stabbed at Shouto's eardrums, even when the sorcerer clapped his hands over his auricles.

Kirishima had landed on top of a wall, cradling his head in his claws and whipping his tail back and forth in agony. "Her voice…it's hurting my ears!" he howled miserably.

Amidst the pain, Shouto noticed a fuchsia web of magic encircling the shrine, producing a series of snapping and popping noises that reminded Shouto of fire. Then, Miruko's scream began to distort, adopting a fuller tone and staggering quality, and the pangs that plagued Shouto and Kirishima lessened and faded completely. The sigils on the walls glowed with the same shade of pink and peeled themselves from the stone one at a time. They circled Miruko, engulfing her in a bright light that blinded Shouto, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut and turn away.

When his eyes adjusted to the light, Shouto tentatively looked back to where Miruko stood. He could no longer see the Shrine Lord, but he could still hear the dregs of her scream becoming slower. If he listened carefully, he could swear that each beat sounded like the cry of an enraged beast.

With one final bellow, the light dissipated, and the four-legged creature landed in the center of the shrine. Shouto tightened his grip on his weapon as he scanned the armor-plated body, searching for weak spots.

Beneath him, Kirishima let out a disgruntled snort. "Holy crap! What _is_ that thing?"

"Agatha. It's Miruko's contractor."

"It doesn't look very nice." The dragon flapped his wings, taking to the air once again while making sure to stay out of Agatha's reach.

Shouto agreed. Agatha sported gray, leathery skin covering every inch of its sturdy body. Four stocky legs supported its weight, which Shouto estimated to be a few tons. A pair of beady eyes glared at him and Kirishima from underneath a gold helmet, and a horn protruded from its head. Shouto immediately noted it as the biggest threat with the feet following at a close second. Agatha's gimmick appeared to be simple: knock them out of the air with its horn and then trample them. Very easy in theory, and deadly if it succeeded.

"Watch out for its horn, and _don't_ let it catch you." Shouto leaned forward in the saddle, preparing for Kirishima's erratic flying.

"I _know_ , Todoroki."

Agatha lowered its head and shifted its weight. It kicked at the ground with one leg and charged forward, horn swinging threateningly. Kirishima swiftly dodged out of the way and sent a fireball glancing harmlessly off Agatha's helmet. The beast let loose a low bellow, shaking its head irritably in response, but remained unharmed. Kirishima gave a few quick sweeps of his wings, rising higher into the sky as Agatha spun around clumsily like a newborn.

"You won't get much done by hitting its armor," Shouto commanded, "Go for its weak spots. Try the eyes."

Kirishima fired off a series of shots at one of Agatha's exposed eyes. Most missed, hitting the armor instead, but one of the fireballs landed, and the beast released a pained groan. It stomped its feet in frustration, sending another earthquake throughout the shrine and making the walls shake.

Shouto felt satisfied. They could do this; he would not be stopped so early on. He leaned closer to Kirishima as the dragon cartwheeled to avoid another one of Agatha's charges. "The abdomen looks unprotected as well. Hit it there."

Obediently, Kirishima sent a volley of fireballs at Agatha's belly, and the beast snorted and faltered slightly, appearing to curl in on itself for a moment. Then, it ran at them again, and this time, its horn came frighteningly close to Kirishima. The dragon yelped and spun around, and the two escaped by the skin of their teeth. Shouto thought he felt Agatha's horn brush across his back, and the icy patch on his back flared in pain. He gritted his teeth and held on tighter to Kirishima.

The dragon continued his assault on Agatha's exposed gut for a few more minutes and then stopped. Before Shouto could question him, Kirishima backed away from the beast and announced, "I'm gonna try something. Hold on tight, Todoroki!"

Shouto's stomach dropped as Kirishima suddenly flew at Agatha. "Kirishima, _don't_ –"

The jarring impact of Kirishima colliding with Agatha's bulk snapped Shouto's mouth shut. His teeth met with an audible _click_ , and Shouto knew he would be feeling the ache for a while. The thought put him in a bad mood, and even the sight of Agatha's damaged helmet did not help.

"It worked, Todoroki! Look!" Kirishima sounded so gleeful, but Shouto had to restrain himself from summoning a sword and stabbing it into the dragon's head.

Instead, he took a deep breath. "Kirishima, from now on, attack from a distance. Try and dismantle the armor with your fireballs."

"Got it!"

They fell into a rhythm. Kirishima dutifully avoided Agatha's attacks while launching a barrage of fireballs at chinks in the contractor's armor. Agatha's slowness made the routine mind-numbing, which would explain why Kirishima became complacent enough to let Agatha's horn scrape his wing.

Shouto's eyes narrowed in disapproval. " _Kirishima_."

"Sorry!" the dragon apologized, "I'm just flying a little slower than I normally do."

"Why are you flying slower?"

"Because you're heavy."

" _What_."

"I _said_ 'because you're heavy.'"

Shouto really should hex Kirishima, preferably after they defeated Miruko and Agatha.

"Todoroki?"

"What."

"I'm getting tired. Think I can land on top of those stone walls for a little?"

"Maybe. Miruko probably doesn't want to destroy her shrine, so that could be a safe spot for a bit."

Kirishima flew to the top of one of the stone walls and lowered them down gently. However, his claws had barely gripped the rock when Agatha rammed it with its horn, sending tremors through the formation. As Kirishima lifted them back up into the air, Shouto saw the cracks splitting the giant tablet and hissed between his teeth. "So she'll do anything to take us down, huh."

"This means we should do everything we can to take her down! Todoroki, use your fire–"

"No."

"But–"

His patience had completely worn out at this point, so Shouto summoned his sword and drove the tip of it into Kirishima's head, right between the horns. It would not leave much of a cut, but Kirishima still squawked with pain.

"I will _never_ use my fire in combat, and this battle is no exception."

"Okay, okay! Just get your sword out of my head!"

Shouto pulled the blade out and held it at his side, glaring at Agatha. "Get the neck exposed so you can tear it up. Let's finish this."

At the next opening, Kirishima dove in, latching his claws into the part where Agatha's helmet connected with its body armor. The dragon tore with his talons and teeth, dismantling the links. Shouto helped him, slashing at the thick ropes with his sword. Meanwhile, Agatha brayed and thrashed, struggling to dislodge them and crush them, but the movement only helped loosen its armor. Soon, the shoulder guards fell off, exposing the soft skin of the contractor's neck.

"Now!" Shouto ordered, and Kirishima lunged with a newfound fervor. The dragon bit at Agatha with the viciousness of a pack of wild dogs, uncaring of the blood that gushed from the wound and drenched his snout. Shouto swung his sword, leaving streams of blood to join the waterfall already cascading to the ground.

It did not take long for Agatha to fall, defeated and bleeding heavily. The contractor let out one last low cry before its body vanished in a bright light, leaving a weak and panting Miruko lying on the cold ground. Shouto wasted no time dismounting from Kirishima's back, approaching the Shrine Lord cautiously and meeting her furious gaze.

"You…monster," she coughed, "You think you'll win? Even if you kill all five of us, you won't be able to defeat the King."

"I've been training for years to kill All Might. I think I know exactly what I'm getting into."

Shouto flinched in surprise when Miruko burst out laughing. "You…really know…how to tell a joke! Or did you get…hit by an amnesia spell?"

When the sorcerer did not answer, Miruko's eyes widened, and she let out a fresh bout of snickering. "Well, damn! This…has got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

Something in Shouto snapped, and he saw red. He raised his sword above his head and plunged the blade into Miruko's body. Blood rushed in his ears, drowning out the sound of Miruko's pain and Kirishima's calls. He stabbed at the Shrine Lord over and over again, losing himself in the motion and the echoes of her mocking laughter. He only stopped when his sword and his hands were coated with Miruko's blood.

Shouto left his sword in Miruko's mutilated corpse, shaking his hands to get rid of some of the red splashes on them. He did not acknowledge Kirishima's dumbstruck look as he walked past the dragon, but he paused at the edge of the arena, touching one of the walls and leaving a bloody handprint on it.

"One Shrine Lord down, four more to go. We're heading for the Shrine of Whispers next."

* * *

 _ **I highly doubt that I wrote Miruko well, but she hasn't done much in the manga yet, so I'm excused :D**_


End file.
